In the novel Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, a Roman amed Lucius has an insatiable curiosity about magic. While attempting to transform himself
into a bird, he accidentally changes
himself into a donkey. Throughout his
time as a donkey, Lucius, retaining his
human mind, experiences the darker side
of life in the Roman-ruled Greek world.

Professor Ashli Baker, classics &ancient Mediterranean studies, focusesher research on this novel, writtenby the Roman North African authorApuleius in the second century AD. “It’sinteresting as a study of the question ofsociopolitical identity,” she says. Thenovel is also one of the first “conversionnarratives,” according to Baker. Luciusjoins the cult of the goddess Isis as acondition of his transformation backto human form. Apuleius, she says,was an accomplished orator who foundhimself accused of witchcraft, a capitalcharge in the Roman world. She studieshis orations and defense speech inaddition to his fiction.Baker includes Metamorphoses in herseminar on the ancient novel as a wayto encourage students to discuss theintersection between fiction and livedreality. “Metamorphoses and other novelsof the period are less familiar to under-graduates than more canonical texts,but it’s important for students to beintroduced to these surprisingly modern— and fun — stories that can help usreflect on both the ancient world andour own,” says Baker.

Baker, who also teaches Latin, heroic
epic and Roman history, sees her work
as a “multidirectional conversation
between students and teacher.

“I have high expectations for active,
informed student participation,” she
says. This classroom dynamic is vital
to her work on Apuleius and other
ancient writers, because every class
contributes to her research. “My
research in turn contributes to student
learning,” Baker says.

Classroom MagicBy Jason Snyder ’95, M’98

FACULTY PROFILE
Daniel Cavanagh

When Professor Daniel Cavanagh came to Bucknell in 1999,
there were only about 45 undergraduate biomedical engineering programs in the country, and most were associated
with sprawling research institutions. He started with a nearly
blank slate to design a program steeped in excellence.

“Our goal was to provide every student with a baseline
experience that was designed to be above the norm, from
hands-on experience to research opportunities to connections
with external groups,” Cavanagh says.

Cavanagh holds the William C. & Gertrude B. EmmittMemorial Chair in Biomedical Engineering, which helped funddevelopment of the major and provides opportunities forCavanagh and students, including medical-device designprojects and summer internships with Geisinger Health Systemin Danville, Pa. Working withprofessors and Geisingerclinicians, students tacklereal-world health-care needsby designing medical-deviceprototypes. That’s where greatideas are born, says Cavanagh,who adds that some of the most exceptional have had theiringenuity recognized with patents.The Geisinger collaboration challenges students in authentic,hands-on settings crucial for learning to solve problems.“We also want to be sure promising ideas and inventionsare driven by the ultimate goal of improving patient care,”Cavanagh says. — Susan LindtResearch&Inquiry

Ashli Baker goes beyond the classics canon to find the modern and fun in stories.